Preemptive Strike
by GeminiMercedes
Summary: Time is ticking and Gabe only has one shot at this. ONE-SHOT! Gabe X Clementine (Gabentine, Clabe). Uploaded to AO3 on May 15, 2018.
1. The Confession

**Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted in forever and I hate that I've been as MIA as I have. Most of it came from lack of confidence and a lot of the stressful things I was going through in my own life. The last few years have been really rough on me but thankfully, I'm coming around to writing again! I am now on Archive of Our Own (under GeminiMercedes as well) and I'm really excited to continue writing! Currently, I've written Gabe X Clementine (Walking Dead) and Keith X Lance (Voltron) stories on there but plan to diversify and eventually come back to the Sonic fandom. I hope you can still enjoy the things I write in this experimental and transitional phase for me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my latest one-shot!**

/

He wasn't surprised to hear that Clementine was leaving. Everyone knew that was coming.

Her plan was never to stay in Richmond, she had been completely against going in the first place. Still, she'd been able to get information on A.J and come to amicable terms with some of the New Frontier. That wouldn't be enough for Clementine, though, not until she found A.J.

What Gabe _was_ surprised to hear was that she would be leaving the following day.

They'd only just driven the muertos out with the help of Jesus and his men. The city needed time to recover and its citizens the time to grieve. Even though he'd only spent a few days around her, Gabe had been hoping for a couple more before she left. It crushed him knowing that was no longer a possibility.

"Are you going to talk to her?" His uncle Javi asked when he saw him in the town square.

"I'm definitely going to say goodbye," he replied, crossing his arms and looking around.

"That's not what I meant," Javi said with a smirk. Javi was the one who'd told him the news that morning. Gabe shook his head.

He wasn't going to admit, even to Javi, that he'd been looking for her all morning.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, not sure he sounded convincing. Judging by Javi's smirk, he definitely didn't.

"Sure you don't, Gabe."

"W-whatever," Gabe replied, glaring at the ground. A hand came down to rest on his shoulder, causing him to look up. Javi was smiling at him and shaking his head.

"Follow your heart, okay? You can do this," he said, squeezing Gabe's shoulder lightly.

"I-I'll try," he stuttered, "doesn't seem like it will matter now, though."

"I'm sure it will, to both of you," Javi replied.

"Okay," Gabe said, turning away to resume his search.

"I think I saw her at the chapel," Javi said with a wink and a wave. Gabe blushed as he turned away, heading in the direction of the stained glass building.

"Thanks, Javi!" He barely got out as he headed off.

/

He always felt bittersweet in the chapel. On one hand, it was a space of tranquility and peace that was hard to come by nowadays. On the other, the pictures of all the recent victims left an ache in his heart that was hard to shake off.

He was surprised to see that Clementine was the only person there, standing by the pictures at the altar. The glow of the candles around her only increased how radiant she'd always looked to him.

"Um, hi Clem," he called out softly. She turned at the sound of his voice and smiled.

"Hey, Gabe," she said, turning back to the pictures as he walked towards her.

"It's going to take a lot to rebuild Richmond," Clementine started, "I know you guys can do it, though."

"I agree," Gabe replied, "I hope the people can respect Javi's role as leader. So much has happened since we got here."

Clementine nodded, turning around to fully face him.

"That's true. A lot of it wasn't his fault, though. I'm sure it'll be okay."

A silence fell over them and Gabe gulped slowly. In the past, even in the heat of battle, this silence would have been treated so differently. It felt awkward and uncomfortable now.

"Uh, Clem?" He started, a thousand thoughts flying through his mind as he looked her in the eyes.

"I know that you're leaving tomorrow and-"

"Gabe-" she interrupted, a hand reaching out to him.

"L-let me finish, please?" He asked before she could finish. Slowly, her arm fell to her side and she nodded. He took a deep breath and smiled at her in appreciation.

"I understand you have to find A.J. I know that's really important to you and I would never stop you from going after him. But…"

He was going to do it. There was no time to turn back now. He struggled to keep eye contact and his gaze pivoted between her and the pictures behind her.

"I-I really like you, Clem," he starts, squeezing his eyes shut, "I know we've only known each for a few days and I know you have to leave but I have to tell you how I feel. I've learned so much from you and you've had my back when I was scared. Everything you've done has meant a lot to me." His fists were clenched at his sides as he spoke and he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

"If you come back to Richmond," he continued, "would you, well, would you let me take you out? O-on a d-date, I mean?"

He heard his words bounce and echo off the chapel walls. His voice had cracked a couple of times and he wasn't sure if it was because of puberty or nerves. Either way, he was definitely glad there wasn't anyone else in there with them.

But what was Clementine thinking? She hadn't said anything yet and he hadn't opened his eyes either. Maybe she only saw him as the temperamental dork who didn't have the level of maturity she needed in a date or a boyfriend.

Another minute (that felt like an hour to him) passed before Clementine responded.

"Gabe, that's very sweet of you to say, but…" she started, slowly.

There it was. He could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces. He tried to muster the courage to look at her and fake a smile. This had always been a possibility and honestly? He should have seen this coming. He had a long way to go before he was even close to being in her league.

He took a deep breath as he waited for the rejection. He'd tell her it was okay and then go scream into a pillow or something.

"The thing is, I'll be here for another week," she said. Gabe's eyes shot open and he almost took a step back.

"Wait, what?!"

Clementine looked amused as he stared at her in shock.

"The lookout said there's another herd not too far from Richmond. It's not huge, but it's big enough to want to wait out," Clementine explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"They told me it would take a few days to clear and that I should stay here," she continued, "I'd rather not leave A.J waiting any longer but taking on a herd won't get me to him any faster." She explained, shaking her head and turning to look out one of the stained glass windows that wasn't boarded up.

Gabe would have said something to comfort her if he wasn't still in shock over the news she had just shared.

"So my plans are on hold, for now. Javi was happy enough to hear that, though." She said, turning back to him.

That seemed to shake him out of his shock.

"Wait, Javi knew?"

Clementine nodded, smirking at him.

"He let me know last night and I agreed to stay," she explained, "I guess he didn't relay the message."

A mixture of dread and anger filled Gabe's stomach. Javi had totally set up him up.

"I-I…"

"Back to what you were saying though," Clementine started, moving closer to him. He took half a step back.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. F-forget what I said," he stuttered, seriously considering turning around and sprinting out of the chapel.

"I don't think I can do that," Clementine replied, raising an eyebrow. The next step she took put her directly in front of him. He could smell the familiar cinnamon scent she always seemed to give off. It was so intoxicating and he definitely couldn't handle that right now.

"Clem, I-" he tried again, his voice a hoarse and cracking mess. She reached a hand out and placed it on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I-" he was interrupted by her lips pressing against his. They were dry and warm and he was pretty his world had just exploded around him.

It felt like less than a second before she pulled away and smiled at her shoes, bashfully.

"I didn't know you felt that way," she admitted, "I think I might feel the same, even if you are a dork."

Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming. He didn't want to pinch himself, though. He didn't want to wake up from this.

"W-what?" Smooth Gabe. Real smooth.

"I'm looking forward to our date, though," Clementine said, finally looking up to smile at him.

She walked past him as she headed out of the chapel.

"See you soon, Gabe," she said as she left.

Gabe stood still as everything she'd said sunk in. He throw a fist in the air and yelled out a cheer before realizing how lame that might have been if anyone seen him.

Looking at the pictures on the bulletin before exiting, he wondered if there was hope for any of them in or out of Richmond now. The speed at which his heart was beating told him there was, but still, who knew for sure?

What he did know was that he was going to either hug or hurt Javi the next time he saw him.


	2. The Date

**I decided to do a follow up chapter/sequel because of the support the first chapter received. This was actually written WEEKS ago but I went through a bunch of issues with my internet and couldn't upload it until now. It makes me really happy to know this is finally up.**

 **I also want to dedicate this chapter to my best friend, who's been nothing but one of the most supportive and understanding people I've had the pleasure of knowing throughout my creative journey. She's been a rock for me through a lot of my struggles and has always encouraged me to write stories about characters I like. When she requested a sequel to this, I knew I had to write one. So thank you to her!**

 **With that being said, please enjoy the sequel to Preemptive Strike!**

./././.

Gabe felt like he was walking on air the next day.

Not only did Clementine have mutual feelings for him but she'd _kissed_ him. Part of him still wondered if he was dreaming.

There was still the sadness in knowing Clementine's time in Richmond was coming to an end. The kiss had made that easier to ignore, but only temporarily. Still, he tried not to focus on the future of whatever their relationship was. If he could make her happy right now, if only for a moment, that's what he would work towards.

Unfortunately, he'd never been on a date before and he wasn't sure she had either. He wanted it to be great but wasn't exactly sure how to go about making that happen.

The last person he wanted to ask was Javi, especially since the man had basically set him up last time. But he valued his uncle's opinion and knew he wouldn't steer him wrong, for the most part.

He was lucky enough to see Javi returning from outside Richmond when he was on his lookout shift.

"Hey, Javi!" Gabe had yelled from his post. His uncle waved back in response.

"I'm coming down!" Gabe continued, nodding at his co-worker, Ruby, before heading down the stairs.

"How's it going, Gabe?" Javi huffed, looking exhausted from his trek. He was part of the group monitoring the incoming herd that had halted Clementine's departure earlier that week.

"Everything's clear over here," Gabe said with a smile. He was grateful for the lookout position. It made him feel like a contributing member of Richmond and earned him some respect amongst the working adults.

"That's good to hear," Javi replied, placing a hand on his hip.

"How's the herd looking?" Gabe asked, concern beginning to show on his face. Javi scratched the back of his neck and sighed.

"They aren't _too_ close but not far enough to not be concerned," he explained. "if they pass us, even by a little bit, I'll be grateful."

"That would be great," Gabe said sadly, looking down at the cracked concrete beneath his feet. The last thing he wanted was another herd coming close to Richmond. They'd barely survived the last one and even then, there had been casualties.

Without the herd though, Clementine had no reason to stay.

"Hey, don't be too sad," Javi said with a smirk, "I'm sure Clementine will stay the rest of the week." Gabe looked up and narrowed his eyes.

"Well _you_ would know, right?"

"Hey, hey! I only did that to help you out. And it seems like it worked, didn't it?" Javi replied, raising his arms in mock surrender.

Gabe held back the smile that was threatening to spread across his face and shook his head.

"T-that's not the point!"

"Did you tell her how you feel?" Javi asked, a caring smile replacing his smirk.

"W-we spoke, alright?" He replied defensively, feeling the blush spreading on his cheeks.

"That's good to hear! I'm proud of you, buddy!" Javi said. Gabe rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Y-yeah, whatever…" he mumbled. Secretly, he was grateful for his uncle's support and knew he would not be as happy as he was now had Javi not pushed him the way he did.

"You better be good to her, even I can't save you if you break her heart," Javi teased. Gabe turned back at him and shook his head.

"I would never! She doesn't deserve that," he shot back indignantly. Javi nodded in agreement.

"She definitely doesn't deserve that," his uncle agreed. "Not to mention she's been through a helluva lot already. Keep that in mind if you want to make her happy."

Gabe took a deep breath. Javi was absolutely right.

"I-I know. That's why I'm trying to come up with a way for us to hang out before she leaves," Gabe explained.

"Like a date?"

"Well…" His face said it all.

"Wow, good for you, Gabe!"

"T-thanks, but I'm not really sure what to do…" Gabe admitted.

Javi crossed his arms and hummed to himself.

"Well, it's kind of difficult given the situation we're in here," he mused. Gabe nodded in agreement, even though that wasn't really what he wanted to hear.

"The things I would have done for dates before wouldn't work with what we have now, you know?" Javi continued.

"We don't have the resources or the restaurants, even though Richmond is a real step up from what we're used to on the road." His uncle explained. Gabe bit his lip.

Then a thought came to him.

"Well, what would you do for Jesus?" He asked, hiding the smirk that was threatening to spread across his face.

Even though he was covered in dirt and sweat, Javi's face turned a bright red.

"W-what about Jesus?" He stammered. Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please, you don't think I didn't hear you flirting with him before he left?"

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about, okay?" Javi replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sure you don't. Weren't you asking him to stay, actually?" Gabe teased. Seeing his uncle flustered was a rare sight, he couldn't help but take advantage.

"You know what? Look," Javi said, stepping around him to head inside Richmond, "how about you ask Kate? She's better at this kind of stuff and I'm sure she's creative enough to help you come up with something nice."

Gabe watched his uncle's retreating form and resisted the urge to laugh out loud.

"Thanks, Javi!" He yelled out, smiling when his uncle shook his head but waved back anyway.

./././.

"I'm so glad you came to me," Kate all but squealed as she lead Gabe into one of Richmond's high schools. This one in particular was relatively new to Gabe. He'd known about it but had never stepped inside it before.

"I have so many date ideas for the two of you," Kate continued, "And all of them can be done here in Richmond! I _knew_ it was a good idea to stay here."

"Why were you thinking of date ideas for Clem and I?" Gabe asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew his stepmom had always liked the idea of them together, even before he fully understood his feelings for Clementine, but it still felt weird knowing she was already planning things for the two pre-teens.

That didn't mean he wasn't grateful or in desperate need of her help, however.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kate asked, stopping in the middle of a hallway to look at him.

"I hope you didn't think you'd just go on one date and get the girl, especially not a girl like Clementine, Gabe. You better not be that type of guy," she said sternly, leaning forward to meet him at eye level.

Gabe wasn't scared of Kate but her change in tone took him by surprise.

"I-I," he stammered out, feeling the blush that quickly spread across his face, "of course not!"

Kate shrugged, ignoring his shock as she turned to continue down the hallway.

"I hope not…" she replied, not waiting for him to keep up.

He grumbled to himself before following after her.

Kate lead him into the classroom at the end of the hallway and turned on the light.

For a minute, Gabe felt an emotion surfacing that he almost couldn't keep down.

He'd always known what high school was but he'd never actually stepped inside the classroom of one. Even though the classroom mirrored the ones he'd seen on T.V, with desks, chairs, and chalkboards, it still left an empty feeling inside of him. He would never get the high school experience because of the muertos. Maybe he didn't need it now, but it hurt to know he'd never had the chance to begin with.

Kate seemed to notice his discomfort and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Y-yeah," Gabe replied, inwardly cursing when he stuttered. "I wish I could have, you know, experienced _this_ ," he gestured to their surroundings.

"Oh, I see," Kate said, "I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to."

"But, to be honest, it wasn't that great when I was attending," she continued. "High school is all about popularity and politics. It doesn't prepare you for the world the way it thinks it does."

Though that gave Gabe food for thought, it wasn't making him feel any better.

"Yeah, I guess…"

"You know," Kate started, raising a finger to her chin, "I heard we have a few teachers here in Richmond. Maybe they could start a class or two at one of the high schools here. What would you think of that?"

Gabe stared at her in surprise.

"Really? But what about my duties here? Like lookout?" He asked. Kate shrugged.

"Why can't you do both? Even if it was just a class or two, it would be like experiencing the real thing," she explained.

As the idea washed over him, Gabe couldn't help but feel excited. If Richmond could really bring back education, it would be taking a step towards the life everyone used to know.

"That would be great!" He admitted, smiling up at her. Kate smiled back and crossed her arms.

"I'll speak to your uncle about it. If he isn't thinking about his knight in shining armor, maybe he can think about making _this_ happen," she replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Yeah, hopefully," Gabe said with a laugh.

He was happy his stepmom wasn't too upset about Javi's fairly obvious crush on Jesus. Javi and Kate weren't together, but Gabe noticed the sadness that occasionally flashed across her features when Javi brought up Jesus. In her defence, she was taking it better than Gabe had expected her to.

"Anyways, we have more pressing matters to deal with, don't we?" Kate asked, turning away to head to the far corner of the classroom.

Gabe hadn't noticed it before, but on the other side of the classroom sat a large television set atop a tall stand with wheels.

"Does that actually work?" He asked, following Kate towards the stand.

"Yup!" she replied, pulling it out of corner and moving it towards the front of the room.

"We can't get any channels, obviously," Kate explained, "but we can watch movies with the DVD player."

She pressed a button on the DVD player that sat on a lower shelf on the stand and pulled a remote out of her pocket.

"I found a bunch of movies in one of the offices downstairs. Action, romantic comedies, documentaries, some animated movies too. You have a lot to choose from," she explained, handing him the remote. Gabe took it gingerly, almost in disbelief.

"T-thank you, Kate." he muttered. His stepmom had just made this so much easier for him. He couldn't help but rush forward and give her a hug.

"It means a lot…" he whispered. He could hear Kate hum as she hugged him back.

"I know it's hard knowing Clementine has to leave but at least you two can enjoy each other's company before she does," she said softly. Gabe pulled back and nodded.

"I know. That's all I can do," he replied.

"For now, anyway," Kate said.

./././.

Planning the date with Kate had been easier than he'd expected but Gabe found himself unable to sleep that night. The excitement and simultaneous nervousness kept him tossing and turning. Would things go well? Would he find a way to mess it up? Would Clementine regret giving him a chance?

The little sleep he did get didn't change how exhausted he felt the following morning. It didn't help that he was half an hour late to his lookout shift and had to skip most of his morning routine to try and make it there.

He sped down the city streets, waving at the neighbours he knew as he ran. He was almost there, turning the corner onto the street he needed to reach when he found himself crashing into someone coming from the opposite direction.

"Woah!" he yelled out as he hit the concrete, the momentum making the crash all the more painful (and dramatic).

"Watch where you're...Gabe?!"

Gabe shook his head before looking up to see Clementine on the ground not too far from him. His heart stopped. _Oh no_. Had he really just crashed into _her_ , of all people?

"C-Clementine!"

He watched her brush herself off and stand up.

"What are you doing, you dork?" she said with a teasing grin, moving towards him.

"I-I am _so_ sorry!" he yelled out, mortified at what his sprint had inherently caused.

If there was ever a moment to actually get bitten by a muerto, it was now. Or get hit by a meteor, he'd take that too.

Clementine rolled her eyes as she extended a hand to help him up. He took it and stood up, staring at the concrete in embarrassment.

"It's okay," she replied, "why are you up so early?"

"I'm uh…" he tried. Nothing was coming to mind and he was sure he was sweating profusely at this point. Since when had he become such a mess around her? Judging by Kate and Javi's comments, he'd always been apparently.

"You're…?"

"I have a lookout shift," he got out, "I'm pretty late for it, that's why I was running."

"I see," Clementine replied, crossing her arms. He looked up at her and then looked away quickly. Her gaze was too much for him to handle this early in the morning.

"W-what about you?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"I'm an early riser," she replied with a noncommittal shrug. Gabe felt that wasn't the only reason she was up but didn't pry. He didn't have the time too, anyway.

"Well, enjoy your morning!" he said, beginning to walk past her.

"Oh right, good luck with lookout," she replied, nodding at him.

He was about to break off into another sprint when he remember that he still needed to tell her something. Biting his lip and hoping the nerves didn't get to him, he stopped his jog and turned around.

"Uh, Clementine?" he called out. She'd only just started to walk away so she turned back fairly quickly.

"Are you free?" he prayed his voice didn't crack again, "tomorrow evening, I mean."

Clementine blinked a couple of times before putting a hand on her hip.

"I think so," she replied, her eyes narrowing, "why, what's up?"

"Well, f-for our date?" he stammered out. It couldn't get any worse than this. Where was an 'abort mission' button when he needed it? It was too bad life wasn't like the comic books he'd grown up reading.

"Oh, right!" Clementine replied, her eyes widening as she brought a hand up to her mouth. Gabe gulped.

"Unless you'd rather not do it anymore. I totally understand-"

"No, no," she said quickly, interrupting him, "I'm fine with that. I guess I'll see you then?" What looked like a blush began to form on her cheeks but Gabe tried to believe she was probably just flushed from being shoved to the ground moments ago. There was no way she would be blushing at him, right?

"T-that's great!" he said in a vocal pitch higher than his normal one. "I'll see you around five then?" He was already jogging away, trying not to embarrass himself anymore that morning.

"S-sure!" Clementine called after him. He sent a wave before speeding up.

He really didn't care about being late after that. His mind was somewhere else entirely.

./././.

Gabe almost wished the previous day had lasted longer than he felt it had.

He deliberately picked a morning shift the day of their date in order to have something to focus on before the afternoon rolled around.

He couldn't hide his nerves though, and Ruby asked him more than once if he was okay.

"O-of course I am! Why do you keep asking?" He'd shot back the third time she asked.

He'd apologized profusely after that, realizing she was just concerned and that he really was a high strung mess at that point.

Things didn't get much better in the early afternoon, either. If anything, his nerves had worsened and his stomach was doing somersaults. It wasn't all bad though. Kate had helped him bring some bean bag chairs from the elementary school close by and even snuck him some granola bars and juice boxes to share with Clementine. He was grateful for her help, especially since he was still new to all of this.

"You're gonna be fine, kiddo," Kate reassured as she turned to leave the classroom.

"Y-you sure?" he asked with a frown. She smiled and put a hand on her hip.

"Hey, you were the one who confessed to her," she replied, "if you could do that, this should be a walk in the park. Actually, that would make a great date too…"

"Okay, okay," he said with a laugh. Kate winked at him before she left. They both knew he just needed to relax.

It was a quarter to five when he finally sat down and took a deep breath. The bean bag chair was actually really comfy (he _so_ needed one for his room) and Kate had recommended they bring three of them in case Clementine wanted space. He was sitting in the one they'd placed in the middle, directly in front of the T.V. stand, mindlessly exploring the DVD player's menu.

He'd picked out a few movies but decided that he would let Clementine choose which one she wanted to see. The movies were those released just before everything with the muertos had happened. He'd deliberately omitted any horror movies from his selection though, seeing as they were already living in a waking nightmare every day.

He was about to start pacing when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He sat up immediately, his heart racing as he did a quick breath and underarm check. Hopefully, he hadn't sweated through the deodorant Javi had found him a week or so ago.

The footsteps continued to get closer and he slowly turned his head to look towards the door. He couldn't _see_ anyone but he'd definitely heard someone. Slowly, he got up from the bean bag chair and headed towards the door.

 _Well, here we go…_ he thought to himself.

He looked through the glass window in the door and saw Clementine facing the door opposite to his. He couldn't help but smile as she slowly opened it and peeked inside.

"Gabe…?" She whispered.

"Uh, hey Clementine," he said, opening his door. Clementine whirled around, her eyes wide as she took in his appearance.

"Oh! There you are," she replied, "I almost got lost twice in here."

"Ah, sorry," Gabe replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "I should have picked a room closer to an entrance."

He pushed the door wider and stepped aside to let her in.

"That's okay," she said as she crossed the hallway.

"I'm just glad you didn't pull your knife on me," he said with a teasing smile.

"Maybe I should have," she replied with a smirk as she passed him.

As he followed her in, he watched as she stopped and stared at the movie setup.

"Wow, you went all out, huh?" she asked, crossing her arms as she took everything in. Gabe gulped. Did that mean she wasn't happy? He tried not to let his nerves get to him as he responded.

"I-I had a lot of help and thought a movie night would be a fun idea," he explained, his heart in his throat at this point.

Clementine turned to him and smiled.

"I think it is, thanks for putting this together," she said.

"N-no problem," he stammered out, breathing a sigh of relief the second she looked away.

He followed her to the front of the room and watched as she sat down in the centre bean bag. He considered sitting in one of the other ones so as not to make her uncomfortable. That would be the right thing to do, right? He didn't want her to feel weird about him being close to her.

"Mind if I…" he tried, pointing to the space beside her. Clementine didn't respond but she shifted over to make room for him. His heart was beating like crazy again. While there was enough room for them to sit comfortably and without touching, Clementine didn't move over enough for their legs and arms not to occasionally brush against each other. He couldn't even wish the blush on his cheeks away this time.

" _Soooo_ , what movie do you want to watch?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

Clementine hummed before responding.

"it's been a while since I've seen one of those," she admitted.

"I know, right? Kate found a bunch of them downstairs. I picked out a few but if you don't like these, I can grab the other ones."

Clementine shrugged.

"I guess it depends on what you've got."

Gabe grabbed the ones he'd chosen from atop the DVD player.

"Here," he said, passing them to her.

He watched as she began to flip through them, her eyes showing the same determination they always did.

"You've picked some good ones," she said after a minute.

"R-really?" He felt his heart soar.

Clementine nodded.

"I may have seen one or two of these when I was younger, I wouldn't remember now," she admitted.

"Which one do you want to watch, then?"

"Hmm," she flipped through them again.

"This one," she said, handing him the DVD for _Monsters Inc._

"And you say _I'm_ the dork," Gabe said, accepting the disc before sliding it into the DVD player.

"Oh please," Clementine scoffed, " _you_ picked it out, remember?

Gabe laughed and leaned back to get comfortable. He was about to say something in response when he remembered something.

"Oh! By the way, here you go," he said, pulling out the granola bars and juice boxes from the other side of the bean bag.

"What did you do, raid a daycare?" Clementine said with a smirk, accepting them anyway.

"That's for me to know and for you not to worry about," he replied, returning her smirk with his own.

Clementine rolled her eyes before turning back to the screen.

"Well, thanks," she muttered. He nodded and smiled.

"No problem,"

The menu for the movie popped up and Gabe used the remote Kate had given him to start the movie from the beginning.

As the movie began to play, Gabe tried to get comfortable without disrupting Clementine. She was sitting up with her hands in her lap as she focussed on the scene playing. He'd expected as much. She wasn't one to relax, not when danger was always around the corner.

He hoped she would somewhat enjoy herself, even though he knew she had a million other things on her mind.

As the movie continued, he was happy to see her smile at some of the jokes early on and he found himself laughing at a couple of moments himself. When was the last time he'd been able to do something like this? It felt like forever ago and even then, he wondered if he'd appreciated it as much as he should have. He tried to block out those bittersweet thoughts, though. He was on a _date_. A date with _Clementine_ of all people. This was a special moment and he had to make sure he etched it into his memory.

When she reached over him to put her juice box down, he got a whiff of her shampoo, which smelled like strawberries.

 _Wow._

"Um, are you okay?" Clementine asked, leaning in to look at him.

"W-what?!" He squealed, moving away from her. He still wasn't used to her being that close and almost fell out of the bean bag chair in surprise.

"You were zoning out and staring straight ahead," Clementine explained.

"Sorry! I was just…"

"It's okay, you dork," Clementine said with a smirk. Gabe rolled his eyes.

"Just watch the movie, alright?"

As the movie continued, Clementine began to sink into the chair. It wasn't by much, but it forced them closer together to the point where the outsides of their thighs were leaning against each other comfortably.

He hoped she didn't hear him gulp but she gave him an exasperated look as she tried to shift around.

"S-sorry, it's the way this thing is-"

"It's okay!" He hoped his voice hadn't cracked in the midst of interrupting her.

So much for subtley.

As the movie came to a close, Gabe finished his juice box and turned to his date.

"What did you think?" he asked, a playful grin spreading across his face.

"It was nice. I liked it, actually," Clementine said with a smile.

"The girl reminds me of someone, the monsters too," she continued, turning back to the screen.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she echoed, "too bad there aren't as many good monsters out here like in the movie."

He knew what she was getting at but tried to keep a frown from forming on his face.

"Clem-"

"I'm sorry I kissed you, Gabe," she admitted, "that wasn't right of me to do."

Gabe felt his breath hitch.

 _Wait, what?!_

"Why wasn't it r-right?" He choked out. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He had thought they were having fun. And the kiss...had it meant nothing, then?

"It's just that…" Clementine started, fiddling with the granola bar wrapper in her hands, "anything could happen when I leave to go find A.J. I could _die_ out there, Gabe."

She seemed to steel herself as she turned to look at him.

"And I would die for A.J, Gabe, I would," she declared, her expression hardened with determination.

He wished she knew how beautiful she looked when she was determined, though.

"And that's why I can't promise you anything. I can't even promise myself anything until I find him. And even then, I just don't know," she finished, continuing to look at him.

Gabe took a deep breath and nodded. He was almost relieved. Part of him had been expecting this conversation to come up.

"I don't want you to promise me anything," he replied, staring at her with what he hoped was the same determination she'd looked at him with.

"I know that A.J is your priority. Actually, that's one of the reasons why I like you," he continued, ignoring the way Clementine's eyes widened as he spoke, "I know you'll find him and bring him back. You're too strong not too."

"You kissing me meant so many things, but I always knew it wouldn't stop you from leaving," he admitted.

"That's why I-" she started.

"That's why I wanted us to do this," he interrupted, gesturing to the T.V, "so that you could enjoy something before you leave Richmond. I know what you'll be facing out there but I will never try to stop you, Clementine."

"This _dork_ will always like you, wherever you go," he said with a smile, pointing at himself.

Clementine looked away and shook her head. Judging by her profile, he could tell that she was smiling.

"Promise me you'll-" he was interrupted by her arms wrapping around his neck. When he realized she was hugging him, he placed his hands around her waist and held her.

"T-thank you, Gabe," her voice a hoarse whisper as she held onto him.

"Anytime," he said, resting his head on her's as they hugged.

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a small smile.

"How long did it take you to rehearse that?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, shaking his head as he held her in his arms.

"You thought of all that in the moment?" she teased, "I'm almost impressed."

"Well, you should...wait, did you say _almost_?"

Her smile was mesmerizing up close and the smell of strawberries was intoxicating at this point. He found himself leaning in without realizing it until they were nose to nose.

"Can I…" he started.

He didn't get to finish as he felt her lips crash against his. This time, the kiss lasted longer and he wasn't stunned like he had been the first time. He eagerly deepened the kiss and was tempted to groan when he felt her fingers running through his hair. She pushed into him with equal passion and he tried not to imagine how much it would suck not to be able to do this with her after this week. He pushed the thought away, replacing it with how grateful he was to be able to share this moment with her.

They pulled apart and stared at each other, breathing heavily as blushes spread across both of their faces.

"T-thanks for today," Clementine said through huffs.

"Y-yeah, anytime," Gabe said, nodding seriously.

"So uh…" he started, rubbing his neck awkwardly. They were staring at one another's lips and the energy in the room had drastically changed.

"One more time wouldn't hurt, I guess," Clementine finished for him, meeting his gaze.

That was all the confirmation he needed to lean in and continue from where they'd left off.

./././.

It was bright and brisk the morning she left. Javi had finished cutting her hair and Gabe had complimented her on it. Anything looked good on her in his opinion, though he thought her pigtails were really cute.

They'd set out to the gate holding hands, ignoring the knowing smiles Javi and Kate gave them.

"You have everything you need, right?" Gabe asked, concern seeping into his voice.

"Yes, I'll be fine," Clementine replied with a nod, turning to smile at him. Gabe rolled his eyes as he returned the smile.

"I know you'll be fine, that's not what I meant," he said with a sigh. Clementine giggled in response.

" _Dork_ ," she muttered, turning to look ahead. Even with her hat on, he could see a faint blush forming on her cheeks.

" _Your_ dork," he corrected, grinning when he saw her blush grow.

"You guys are too much," Javi said with a laugh. Gabe turned back to glare at him.

"W-well it's your fault, really!" he shot back.

"Hey, shouldn't you be thanking me then?" Javi replied, grinning at his fuming nephew.

"I _did_!"

"No, you _didn't_!"

"Would you both stop," Kate groaned, signalling the lookout to open the gate, "you're just as bad with Jesus, Javi."

It was Javi's turn to blush and look flustered.

"What?! I am so not like them," he retorted. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Well, thank you Javi," Clementine started as the front gate opened and they stepped outside, "not just for this but for everything."

Javi nodded in reply.

"No problem. You've helped me a lot, too. Make sure you find your way back here," Gabe noticed how serious he was when he said that and smiled at him.

He was happy to know his family cared as much about her well-being as he did.

"Yes, please be careful out there. Come back quickly if something goes wrong," Kate added.

Clementine nodded and let go of Gabe's hand to hug the two adults.

"They grow up so fast," Javi said, pretending to tear up.

"Oh, shut up," Clementine said with a smirk as she pulled away from him.

"We'll miss you," Kate said as she hugged the girl.

"Likewise," Clementine replied, "keep these two in line, okay?"

" _Hey!_ " Gabe and Javi said in unison. Kate laughed at their response.

"I'll try to but you know how they are. Come back soon and help me out," she said with a wink.

"We'll see," Clementine said with a laugh.

She turned back to Gabe and smiled sadly.

"I can't promise-" she started. Gabe rolled his eyes and walked towards her.

"We talked about this, remember? I'll be waiting, don't worry about me," he replied, standing in front of her. She stared back at him, as if searching his eyes for any doubts before shaking her head and smiling.

"Okay."

They hugged before she gave him a peck on the cheek (to which Javi made a noise at) and headed off.

The Garcia family waved as she became a silhouette in the distance and Gabe felt a hand come down to rest on his shoulder. He turned to see it was Javi's hand, and that his uncle and Kate were staring at him with sympathetic expressions.

"Are you going to be okay?" Javi asked. Gabe nodded.

"I'll have to be," he admitted, "I'm really worried about her, though."

"She's a tough cookie, she'll be okay," Kate reassured. Javi nodded in agreement.

"She's been through a lot worse, like I told you before," he explained, "this'll be a cinch for her."

Gabe only smiled at them as they lead him back into Richmond.

"I guess you'll have to take more lookout shifts if you want to be the first to see her when she returns," Javi teased. Gabe nodded seriously.

"I think that's a good idea."

~ Epilogue ~

It had been a year since Clementine's departure and Richmond was doing better than ever. Under Javi's rule, education for all ages had been inteoduced and Gabe was enrolled in a handful of classes. Making friends with the other students was easy enough, especially since they could relate to one another's experiences. Both Kate and Javi taught classes at the high school and Gabe found himself immersing into a life he'd never thought he'd have the chance to.

Javi had finally asked Jesus out and the knight stopped by Richmond more often than he used to. Of course, Gabe made sure to tease Javi as much as his uncle had teased him. It was only fair, right?

He missed Clementine, they all did. He knew that she was a fighter though, and had no doubt she would find a way to complete her mission and return. He sometimes wondered if she would find someone else, someone more dependable and like-minded. Maybe she'd find someone who didn't need to be taught or coddled like he did. He didn't get much sleep the nights he thought like that.

To stay positive, he focussed on helping rebuild Richmond and making an environment that both Clementine and A.J could feel safe in. If he could do that, he figured, he could help a lot of people while he waited.

Today was one of those days. He had a lookout shift in the morning and a math class in the afternoon. He was reading one of his textbooks on break when his lookout co-worker yelled out.

"Who goes there?" they asked. He dropped the book and grabbed his gun. Running out of their makeshift break room and to the lookout spot, he saw someone approaching through the morning fog.

"Who is that?" he asked his co-worker, Ruby.

"I'm not sure," Ruby shrugged, holding her gun at her hip, "I think they're with someone, though."

He looked again and could make out the person holding hands with what looked to be a small child. As they stepped closer, he began to recognize the person's walk. With another few, he could make out the letter on their hat.

He ran before he could stop himself, ignoring Ruby's calls as he slammed down on the gate's switch. He sprinted down the stairs, telling himself he had to be dreaming.

He made it through the gate to see the person waving at him and the child following suit. There were tears in his eyes as he raced towards them.

"Hey, Gabe," she said in her usual tone as he all but tackled her into a hug. He was both laughing and crying so he didn't bother trying to respond.

"Meet my dork, A.J." she said with a giggle. He felt the child hug his leg as he continued to bury his face in the crook of her neck. She still smelled like strawberries.

"I'm so glad you're back," he said as he leaned back to look at her.

"You said you'd wait for me, didn't you?" she said with a smirk, leaning in as he wiped his eyes.

"You were worth the wait," he said before meeting her half way and joining their lips together.

They'd spent a year apart, but any time with her now was more than worth the wait.

./././.

 **Fun fact, this is the first story I think I've written an epilogue for. I usually write an ending or a sequel. It was actually a lot of fun to write and I feel it tied up the story well.**

 **I watched the teaser trailer for the final season of Walking Dead last night. I have so many feelings towards it. The Walking Dead was the first Telltale game I got into and I will truly miss the characters and universe when the last episode comes to a close. I wish they weren't ending it but at least we'll have the stories here, right?**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter below and stay tuned for a lot more coming soon!**


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